DOH defends Duque ”over blessing in disguise” remark

August 24, 2020

The Department of Health (DOH) Monday defended Heal Secretary Francisco Duque III over his comments saying the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a "blessing in disguise".

In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said ''what our Secretary of Health meant was that the pandemic has triggered a more expeditious processing of what we have to implement for the UHC."

"If you are a public health practitioner, you will be able to understand what the Secretary of Health said because we know that major reforms in every health system are pushed by a trigger. And our trigger now is the pandemic," she added.

Last Friday, Duque was quoted as saying in an online forum that COVID-19 can be considered as a “blessing in disguise” as it has showed the importance of  implementing the UHC Law.

According to Vergeire, Duque was correct in saying the pandemic hastened the implementation of several provisions of the UHC Law.

They include  formation of the health care provider network, capacity of the health care system, and full coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

"Because of the pandemic situation we are facing, everything has been expedited," explained Vergeire.

The UHC Law or the Republic Act No. 11223 was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 2019. DMS